Fitness

Working out in the heat can help you get fitter

Published

2 years ago

August 11, 2024

Working out in the heat can help you get fitter

Hot, humid days are already uncomfortable—now imagine that discomfort multiplied as you go all-out during an evening pickleball game or lunchtime run. For some, that heat can be enough to make you not want to exercise outside at all.

But, now is the time to use that workout inspiration we’re all getting from the summer Olympics—because, according to experts, working out in the heat can help us get fitter, if we do it correctly.

Why is exercising in the heat so hard?

Higher temperatures and stifling humidity make the body work harder.

“I always think that exercise and heat is a big cardiovascular challenge,” says Chris Byrne, registered physiotherapist and senior lecturer at the University of Exeter.

That’s because our cardiovascular system has to juggle two substantial jobs: circulating blood, oxygen, and metabolic fuel to our muscles, and cooling our bodies down.

“There’s competing demands. Some of…the cardiac output from the heart needs to be channeled into losing heat,” Byrne says. “That can start causing problems.”

That’s when what Byrne calls “heart rate drift” can happen. In cooler conditions, your heart rate will remain steady while maintaining the same effort during exercise. In the heat, despite running at the same speed, for example, heart rate starts to drift up. “And that is a sign of the cardiovascular system putting more focus on heat loss,” Byrne says.

What is heat adaptation?

“Our physical fitness in the hot environment can certainly be improved through things like heat training,” says Chris J. Tyler, who researches the impact of environmental extremes on the human body at the University of Roehampton in Britain.

With properly paced and progressive training, our bodies can not only adjust to heat, but we’ll also be able to work out harder at hotter temperatures, Tyler says.

That’s where three vital physical adaptations come in:

lower core body temperature
higher blood volume, which leads to higher stroke volume—the amount of blood ejected by heart beats
lower resting heart rate.

Those adaptations interact to make your cardiovascular system function more efficiently, with a higher volume of blood leaving the heart per minute, Byrne explains.

Heat adaptation leads to a lower resting core body temperature in order to improve our ability to lose heat, Byrne says. Our body temperature can lower from the standard 98.6 F to as low as 97.7 F—giving us a lower starting temperature as we begin exercising, meaning we’ll start sweating earlier, cooling down earlier, and we won’t get as hot as quickly.

Byrne says we also start to sweat earlier at our newly lowered body temperature. That means our bodies have adapted to trigger heat loss mechanisms more quickly, which helps us cool down.

With these adaptations, you can reach much higher cardiac outputs—or much harder efforts—during exercise, Byrne says.

“These adaptations allow the heart to function more efficiently to meet those dual tasks of supplying fuel to working muscles and losing heat from working muscles,” Byrne says.

Here’s how safely heat train

Heat adaptations can occur quite quickly, says Tyler, if you do it right.

“The adaptation isn’t getting hot—it’s getting hot and staying hot,” Tyler says. “It’s not how long you exercise for, it’s how long you’re hot.”

Byrne advises to work out for at least 30 minutes every day, or 60 minutes every other day, if you’re running or cycling—at whatexperts would call “submaximal effort.”

Even if your heart is pounding in the heat, your core temperature may not be high enough to reap heat adaptation benefits. It’s most ideal to get that core temperature high and keep it high for at least 30 minutes, Byrne says, since it takes a longer time for body temperature to rise and fall than it does heart rate.

You can start to see those benefits as soon as five to seven days into daily training, Tyler says. If you’re exercising more like every other day, then he says you can expect to see those adaptations in about two weeks, maybe sooner.

When it comes to other types of exercise—like pickleball, tennis, or football—which include high intensity intervals, Byrne says heat adaptation is possible, even with brief rest periods between sets or games, since body temperature takes a while to fall.

“With something like tennis, you’ll probably see a rise in body temp, and if there’s a break in between sets you’ll probably see a subtle fall, but quickly it’ll be back up again,” Byrne says.

Even with adaptations, training in hot conditions is hard, especially when you first start out. Tyler says the key is to start slow, gradually increasing the difficulty.

“Just like you wouldn’t go to the gym and instantly try and lift 400 pounds, you might start light and get heavier as you progress,” Tyler says. If you go too quickly, he warns, you could get injured or suffer from heat-related illnesses. On the other hand, if you don’t increase the difficulty at all, you likely won’t see your fitness progress much.

Starting slowly can look like going for a 30-minute jog with walk breaks, Byrne says, and then building up gradually from there.

The average athlete should pay attention to heart rate and rate of perceived effort, or RPE, Tyler says. Once you see your heart rate lower during the same workouts and feel that they become easier than when you first started heat training, that’s when you feel those adaptations happening in real time.

How to stay safe in the heat

Safety should be your number one priority. Heat illnesses are real—and can be deadly in the most extreme cases.

Byrne advises to only exercise in what you can handle—if you feel you’re overheating, slow down or stop immediately and cool down. Humidity can be a dangerous factor as well, he says, as the moisture in the air prevents you from sweating—one of the most vital things our body does to cool down.

Here’s advice from experts and the CDC on how to stay safe while going after summer goals:

Stay hydrated. Byrne advises to keep fluids and electrolytes on hand, especially for if you’re working out longer than 60 minutes.
Don’t over hydrate: drinking too much plain water can be dangerous.
Take it slow. Byrne advises beginners to start with something like a 30-minute jog with one-minute walking intervals dispersed throughout.
Take some time off if you’re sick or have been sick recently.
Slow down or stop if you feel overheated.
Drink more water than usual, and don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink more.
Wear loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing.
Look for signs of heat illnesses. Seek shade and hydrate immediately if you feel symptoms like dizziness, delirium, nauseousness, headaches, or muscle cramps.
People over 65—who aren’t marathon runners or highly trained—and children should avoid strenuous outdoor activity in the summer heat.

More on working out:

Click to comment

Fitness

At 72, Oprah swears by this specific move for full-body strength – here’s why it’s so effective

Published

11 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

At 72, Oprah swears by this specific move for full-body strength – here’s why it’s so effective

Oprah Winfrey, 72, has been vocal about her weight loss journey in recent years, revealing that maintaining fitness, particularly through strength training, has been crucial while using GLP-1s. Such is her love for these newfound fitness habits that she even did a 72-minute workout to celebrate her 72nd birthday earlier this year.

Now, the talk show host has taken to Instagram to share with her followers a specific strength move that has quickly become a staple in her routine: kettlebell swings.

Why are kettlebell swings effective?

‘Kettlebell swings are one of the most efficient movements because they combine strength, power and cardiovascular conditioning in one exercise,’ says Alice Jordan, a women’s strength and hormone health coach. ‘They target the posterior chain – glutes, hamstrings and lower back – which is especially important for women as we age, helping to improve posture, reduce back pain and support metabolism.’

Jordan adds that kettlebell swings ‘also elevate the heart rate quickly, making them ideal for busy women who want maximum results in minimal time,’ and that when incorporated into your routine correctly, they ‘can improve fat loss, core stability and overall functional strength, which carries over into everyday movement and injury prevention.’

Another key benefit that makes kettlebell swings such an effective movement for women as they age? ‘They help build explosive strength and bone density – both crucial for women during and after menopause.’

How to do kettlebell swings

It’s important to take the time to properly learn the right technique – as Oprah said she did. Alongside the video she posted on Instagram of her performing the exercise, Oprah wrote ‘I first saw other people doing kettlebell swings so skillfully that I didn’t attempt them for at least a year! Now Trainer Peter is always right by my side to course correct me so I’m doing them right – and I think I finally got the swing of them.’

Explaining how to do kettlebell swings, Jordan says that ‘the movement should come from the hips, not the lower back or shoulders. Think about pushing your hips back, keeping your spine neutral, and then powerfully driving the hips forward. This helps target the glutes and reduces the risk of injury.’

When it comes to ensuring that you choose the right weight, Jordan adds that a ‘good starting point for most women is a kettlebell between 6-10kg – but the key is that it should feel challenging enough to drive the hips forward without using the arms.’

‘If you can easily lift it with your shoulders, it’s usually too light. Many beginners actually benefit from going slightly heavier so they learn proper hip hinge mechanics,’ she flags.

How often to do kettlebell swings

So, how often should you do the move per week? ‘For beginners, I’d typically recommend starting with 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps, focusing on good technique and plenty of rest between sets,’ says Jordan. ‘The priority early on is learning the hip hinge and building confidence with the movement, rather than pushing volume too quickly.’

Doing this 2-3 times per week works well for most beginners, she adds, as it ‘allows enough time to recover while still building strength, power and cardiovascular fitness.’ When your technique and fitness improve, you ‘can gradually increase either the number of sets or include swings as part of full-body workouts.’

‘It’s also helpful for beginners to keep sessions relatively short and stop before fatigue affects form, as this reduces the risk of injury and helps reinforce good movement patterns.’

Common mistakes to avoid

Jordan says common mistakes to avoid include:

Turning the swing into a squat rather than a hinge
Lifting the kettlebell with the arms instead of letting momentum and hip power do the work
Rounding the back and going too heavy too quickly

It really is important to be patient and take some time to get your form exactly right – as it will mean you’ll get the most out of the exercise in the long run.

Hannah Bradfield is a Senior Health and Fitness Writer for Women’s Health UK. An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Hannah graduated from Loughborough University with a BA in English and Sport Science and an MA in Media and Cultural Analysis. She has been covering sports, health and fitness for the last five years and has created content for outlets including BBC Sport, BBC Sounds, Runner’s World and Stylist. She especially enjoys interviewing those working within the community to improve access to sport, exercise and wellness. Hannah is a 2024 John Schofield Trust Fellow and was also named a 2022 Rising Star in Journalism by The Printing Charity. A keen runner, Hannah was firmly a sprinter growing up (also dabbling in long jump) but has since transitioned to longer-distance running. While 10K is her favoured race distance, she loves running or volunteering at parkrun every Saturday, followed, of course, by pastries. She’s always looking for fun new runs and races to do and brunch spots to try.

Fitness

The Workout Habit That Can Become Harm

Published

23 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

If your day begins with a HIIT class and ends with the saintly glow of “I’ve been good,” you’re not alone. Regular movement can lighten stress, settle anxiety, and generally make the world feel a little less like a group chat on deadline. But for a small group of gym-goers, exercise addiction isn’t a punchline or a humblebrag — it’s a real behavioural pattern that can quietly bulldoze daily life.

Researchers in Budapest have suggested that for around 0.3 to 0.5% of gym-goers, working out and the quest for ultimate wellness can tip into unhealthy obsession. And a separate study from Anglia Ruskin University found the risk rises sharply for people with a history of eating disorders — with researchers reporting you’re nearly four times more likely to experience exercise addiction if you’ve previously had anorexia or bulimia.

It’s an uncomfortable twist, because exercise is supposed to be the good bit. The socially approved coping mechanism. The one that gets likes, not concerned phone calls.

Why “Healthy” Can Be a Convenient Disguise

Wellness culture has a curious magic trick: it can make rigid rules look like discipline. Eight hours’ sleep becomes a badge of honour. “Clean eating” becomes a personality. And a workout missed can feel, for some, less like a rest day and more like a moral failure.
That’s what makes compulsive exercise hard to spot — especially during or after recovery from disordered eating. To friends and family, it can look like someone has “sorted themselves out.” Under the surface, the engine can be the same: fear, control, anxiety — just with different gym kit.
As Eating Disorders Awareness Week begins (March 2–8), we spoke to experts about wellness, disordered exercise, and the additional risks for those with a history of eating disorders.
Advertisement

Can Eating Disorders Be Replaced by Exercise Addiction?

Kerrie Jones, a psychotherapist specialising in eating disorders and clinical director of treatment centre Orri, says eating disorders and exercise addiction often share the same roots — and the same function.
“Eating disorders, like exercise addiction, arise when we have lived through an experience – or lots of different experiences – that have taught us that we’re not safe in our day-to-day lives,” she says.
“Obsessing about food, weight or exercise is a behavioural mechanism that has developed as a means of keeping us feeling safe and in control when otherwise we’d feel overwhelmed with fear and anxiety.”
Jones explains that these behaviours can narrow a person’s focus to what feels measurable and manageable — calories, reps, weight, shape — while masking the deeper fear underneath.
“We call these ‘maladaptive’ coping mechanisms, as they develop through seemingly good intentions, but to the detriment of our longer-term physical and mental health.
Advertisement

“Sometimes, when people reach a point in their recovery where they are stable and functioning, they may move from an obsessive relationship to food, to an obsessive relationship to exercise.”
And because exercise is widely applauded — and often actively encouraged — the behaviour can stick around far longer than people realise.
“It’s a much more socially accepted and idolised means of maintaining obsessive behavioural patterns,” says Jones, which means it can linger for years before someone seeks help.
What Drives Exercise Addiction Psychologically?

There’s rarely one neat cause. It’s more often an overlap of biology, social pressure, past experiences, and psychology — with a particular role for trauma and learned patterns of control.
“There’s no one reason or cause why someone might develop an eating disorder or exercise addiction, however, it’s often a combination of social, genetic and psychological factors,” says Jones. “Commonly, we find a negative life experience or traumatic experience at the root.”
Chartered psychologist and Healthspan ambassador Dr Meg Aroll says more research is needed specifically on exercise addiction, but we already know a lot about how behavioural addictions operate — particularly the loop of compulsive thoughts and repeated behaviours.
Advertisement

“We know that it’s important to change patterns of ruminative and compulsive thoughts in people with behavioural addictions, which is why treatments such as cognitive behavioural therapy are likely to be of help.”
In plain terms: it’s not about willpower. It’s about patterns — and treating what’s driving them.
Signs to Watch For: When Training Turns Compulsive

There’s no single template for exercise addiction. People don’t present in one uniform way, and “looking fit” tells you precisely nothing about what’s happening mentally.
But there are common warning signs, especially when exercise becomes less about wellbeing and more about relief, guilt, or control.
Jones says a person might:

Feel guilt and shame about missing exercise routines

Keep secrecy around how much they’re exercising

Continue to workout when ill, exhausted or injured

Prioritise exercise repeatedly over family, friends, work, and recovery

That last point matters. Training that regularly trumps relationships, rest, or basic health isn’t “dedication.” It’s a red flag waving in fluorescent gym lighting.
Does Social Media Make It Worse?

Social media can be supportive — community can be a lifeline — but it can also validate compulsive habits. A life organised entirely around workouts can look, online, like “motivation,” when the reality might be anxiety management dressed up as routine.
“For people who are predisposed to eating disorders or behavioural addictions, wellness culture can appear to support and condone this type of maladaptive behaviour,” says Aroll.
Advertisement

“However, on its own, wellness and social media culture is not to blame – someone with such conditions will have a complex combination of factors in their life leading to their symptoms, which should be investigated fully and treated professionally.”
Jones adds that if you know you have an addictive personality, it’s worth curating your feed with intent — and unfollowing content that escalates guilt, restriction, body obsession, or punishment narratives.
What To Do If You’re Worried About Someone

The hardest part is saying something — and the most important part is saying it well. Jones recommends addressing it directly, but with care around timing, tone, and what you focus on.
“It’s important to broach the topic with them directly as their physical and mental health may be severely at risk,” says Jones. “Pick a time to talk when emotions aren’t running high, and where possible, try and avoid talking about exercise specifically or the more symptomatic aspects of exercise addiction or their eating disorder.
“Instead, focus your questions and concerns on how they’re feeling, underneath their day-to-day activities.
Advertisement

“Keep in mind that there are specialists out there who can help and the charity Beat has numerous resources on how to have a difficult conversation with someone.”
In other words: aim beneath the behaviour, toward the emotion.
Do We Need a Broader Conversation About “Healthy”?

Here’s the tricky bit. Health professionals rightly champion exercise for physical and mental health. But for people recovering from eating disorders — or with a vulnerability to compulsive behaviours — messaging can land differently. “More is better” can become a permission slip for harm.
“I think there needs to be a broader conversation about what it means to be ‘healthy’ and to live a ‘healthy lifestyle’,” says Jones. “What works for some, may not work for others, particularly if they’ve suffered with an eating disorder in the past and would have trouble maintaining a normal relationship to exercise and food.”
Jones says clinicians assessing physical health need to consider personal history and the intention behind the behaviour.
Advertisement

“If possible, we need to investigate the intention associated with exercise and unpick the feelings that arise before, during and after exercising.”
That’s the real measuring stick. Not calories burned, not streaks kept alive, not the smug serenity of a kale smoothie. If movement helps you live more freely, it’s doing its job. If it’s tightening the cage — especially in recovery — it’s time to call it what it may be: exercise addiction, and something that deserves proper support, not applause.

Fitness

I’ve seen some bizarre exercises online. If I were an influencer, this is the one workout I’d recommend | Devi Sridhar

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

I’ve seen some bizarre exercises online. If I were an influencer, this is the one workout I’d recommend | Devi Sridhar

Are you still keeping up with your 2026 resolution to exercise more? Or perhaps you’re just trying to survive the winter doldrums, with exercise the last thing on your mind. Whatever it is, social media is alight with fitness influencers showing off all kinds of bizarre and viral exercise trends.

Take squats, a core exercise move. Those don’t seem good enough any more, so now we have Zercher squats (holding a barbell in your elbow crease like a metal baby), squats on vibration plates, squats while throwing a heavy ball and on and on. Some of these exercises may in fact be good, some useless, but because influencers can’t be seen to be doing the same thing every day, the key thing is that they’re novel and can be sold as “the little-known secret exercise that everyone should be doing”.

Then there’s adding a gimmick to an existing exercise. There’s goat yoga, puppy yoga and – my favourite new trend from the US – snake yoga, in which snakes such as pythons slither around the room and on to mats and yogis while they’re in downward dog thinking about spiritual intentions or, more likely, what’s for dinner. The marketing is that being around snakes in yoga can help overcome a fear of snakes while also building flexibility. Cross two things off your to-do list at once!

Here’s my public health take: fear of snakes is rational. About 5.4 million people are bitten by snakes each year. Evolution spent thousands of years instilling that fear in us – for good reason.

Why do bizarre fitness trends go viral, and why do they appeal to something within us? I think it has to do with boredom, the need for novelty and Fomo. Exercise can feel boring: going out running for the same 5k or heading to the gym to the same equipment and space. This is true also for yoga, which can feel slow and lack excitement.

The idea of trying something new is appealing, plus there is a constant push by certain fitness influencers implying that they know something we don’t. Some of them play on health anxiety and a desire to optimise with the “best” exercise to maximise your time and results: how to get a six-pack in two weeks or how to lose 10kg in five days (both pretty much impossible, by the way). Plus they’re telling us to buy a supplement or try a new juice cleanse that will be the missing piece to make us feel better by March.

Fitness trends sell that hope of feeling better. Take Hyrox, a hybrid endurance event where super-fit people pay good money to push sleds, throw wall balls, burpee-jump across the room and run between various stations. It’s impressive to watch and looks great on social media – which feels essential these days – and it’s a clear way to show your friends how fit you are. But it also reflects the push towards extreme, complicated and injury-prone exercise.

I’m going to say something you don’t want to hear, especially if you love Hyrox or snake yoga: none of this is necessary. If your goal is to feel strong, move better, stay pain free and live longer, you need three things: cardio exercises, resistance training and mobility training.

You don’t need weights, reptiles or cameras. It sounds simple, but what makes exercise hard isn’t the actual movement. It’s finding the time and routine to make it sustainable and part of your daily life. Which brings me to the most untrendy thing I can offer you: a 13-minute workout you can do anywhere, with or without weights. This is my default on busy days, and when I’m at home I have an 8kg sandbag on hand to add in.

All you need is a timer on your watch or phone. Start with three minutes of cardio to get warm and your heart rate up, whether it’s jogging on the spot, jumping jacks or just marching. Then it’s three minutes of legs, rotating between five each of narrow squats, broad squats, backward lunges, forward lunges and calf raises. Then on to three minutes of upper body, moving between five each of narrow push-ups, wide push-ups and tricep dips. Time to move on to core with a one-minute plank (either on your hands or forearms) and one minute of glute bridges (lifting your hips off the floor while lying on your back). For the final two minutes, just stretch out, whether that’s standing and reaching for your toes, lying on your back and moving your legs right and left like windshield wipers or sitting cross-legged and folding forward.

That’s it. Do this a couple of times a week if you can. Will you see it go viral on socials? No. Will it get sponsored by a supplement company? No. Will it increase your healthy life expectancy and make you feel happier? Public health evidence suggests yes. The real challenge, it turns out, isn’t finding the latest hack or trend. It’s sticking with a (snake-free) routine, even when the novelty wears off and 2026 resolutions fade from memory.